By 2030, global emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) must drop by 45 percent from 2010 levels to stay on a 1.5° path, while the cost of inaction could be as high as 4 percent of US growth domestic product. For the world to meet the decarbonization and climate mitigation goals set out in the Paris […]
In the first decade of the 21st century, China’s rapid urbanization and investment-led growth model brought skyrocketing demand for raw commodities and an ensuing investment wave in Amazon basin countries. In the wake of this “China boom,” national governments in Amazon basin countries enacted a series of social and environmental protections, many of which were […]
The Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group of Finance Ministers, a dedicated initiative of 55 climate vulnerable economies, is at the epicenter of looming debt and climate crises which are threatening their ability to build resilient and low-carbon economies. When scarce public finances are mostly spent on debt service rather than on investments to build a more resilient […]
As the fastest growing source of foreign financing, China and Hong Kong foreign direct investment (FDI) surged to a total of $3.2 trillion in 2019. Chinese capital offers a novel opportunity for host country political and state elites to strongly foster industrialization by enacting policies outside the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and […]
By 2050, the share of global carbon emissions of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) participating countries is expected to be as high as 76 percent. Among the 149 countries and 32 international organizations signed on to the BRI, more than half of the countries included carbon neutrality in their planning and proposed specific timelines for […]
After several years of negotiations to “modernize” the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), members must decide by June 24, 2022, whether to amend provisions of the treaty, leave it as is or withdraw from it entirely. The ECT is the only international investment treaty with a sectoral focus on energy. It has been ratified by 50 […]
The economic shock from the COVID-19 pandemic has set back the development agendas for emerging markets and developing countries. Many developing countries have suffered from severe economic contractions that derailed revenue generation and budget execution and created urgent financing needs. Servicing public debt crowds out fiscal space for investing in a green and equitable recovery […]
By Rachel Thrasher The latest report from the UN International Panel on Climate Change has made clear that this decade is make-or-break for climate action and mitigating the worst-case scenarios of a warming earth. Crucial to keeping warming below the 1.5C threshold by 2100, countries must focus on phasing out both demand and supply for […]
If global warming is to be kept below 1.5C, states need to rapidly phase out fossil fuels. But government efforts to limit fossil fuels, such as cancelling pipelines and denying drilling permits, will impact asset holders and demands for compensation will ensue. When assets are protected by international investment treaties, legal claims can be brought […]
By Md. Deen Islam and Rachel Thrasher In November 2021, the United Nations approved Bangladesh to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status by 2026. An LDC graduation reflects a country’s economic strength and resilience to various types of financial and climate shocks and highlights the extent of economic and social progress achieved by the […]